Our Opinion: Preserving a treasure

Amendment could keep popular Florida Forever alive

Despite efforts to expand Florida's business base, the state has long relied on three pillars of economic activity: tourism, agriculture and services related to growth.

In a way, all three rely on natural resources and clean water as part of the state's quality of life. In fact, Florida's Constitution recognizes the importance of preserving these gifts, saying: "It shall be the policy of the state to conserve and protect its natural resources and scenic beauty. Adequate provision shall be made by law ... for the conservation and protection of natural resources."

A key part of that effort has been the Florida Forever program and its predecessor, Preservation 2000.

Today, however, the program is in danger of being not-so-forever, and so a coalition of conservation groups is trying to rally support for a constitutional amendment that would mandate a funding source.

But first, some history. In the late 1980s, Gov. Bob Martinez formed the Commission on the Future of Florida's Environment, which listened to Floridians and recommended that lawmakers develop an acquisition program to protect the state's most valuable and vulnerable lands.

Preservation 2000 was given a specific funding source - a slice of documentary stamps from real estate sales that gave it about $300 million per year. Florida Forever was created in 2001 and reauthorized in 2008, with the same funding source.

But the days of getting $300 million to spend are gone.

Since 2008, the Legislature has been raiding the Florida Forever monies. In some years, no money was set aside. In his proposed 2013 budget of $74.2 billion, Gov. Rick Scott has set aside $75 million for Florida Forever - but $50 million of that depends on selling state lands.

Spending $1 per citizen is no way to ensure that the state's environmentally sensitive lands are preserved.

The Florida Water and Land Conservation Amendment, which conservation groups hope to see on the 2014 ballot, would enshrine in the constitution the continued purchasing of conservation and recreation lands, funding it with one-third of the revenue from documentary stamps (that would be about $10 billion for water and land conservation over the 20 years the amendment would be in effect).

Proponents of the amendment say this is not a tax hike and would not take money from any other programs. That may be technically true, but let's be honest - money not raided is money not spent somewhere.

Regardless, this is an important program in a state that depends so much on its beauty and its resources.

Bob Graham, the former Florida senator and governor who is part of the amendment effort, bills the amendment as "political protection." If funding is unpredictable, he argues, political rather than scientific standards are followed as potential purchases are pushed to the front of the line.

A paper prepared for the Florida Conservation Coalition found that 67 percent of Floridians support continued funding for Florida Forever.

Whether that will translate into a place on the ballot is uncertain. Mr. Graham has estimated that supporters must gather a million signatures by January 2014 to ensure that they have the 676,811 validated signatures needed.

It will require a creative and aggressive campaign using social media and reaching out to everyone who has enjoyed hiking, kayaking or simply admiring the clear waters of a Florida spring. With the support of citizens, the amendment can preserve Florida's future.

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Our Opinion: Preserving a treasure

Despite efforts to expand Florida's business base, the state has long relied on three pillars of economic activity: tourism, agriculture and services related to growth.